Icon trac bar?

[bthomas]

For anyone out there running a Icon adjustable bar on there rig with the heim bearing i have a question. I have been running mine for about a year and have replaced the axle side balljoint twice now due to play and bumpsteer but have also noticed that it seems the heim joint has excessive front to back play as it can be rotated full tilt and hit the trac bar bracket it bolts into on the frame side. I am running the 2.5' Icon coils but this question should apply to anyone running the bar.

I do not know the exact torque spec on the frame side heim joint but am going to have it checked but am trying to determine if the joint itself is bad. I do realize it is supposed to rotate for articulation but it is always either all the way forward or back never straight up and down. I have spoken to Icon but don't think they understand how much play i am talking about.

My bump steer is back and trying to isolate the issue, i have all new tie rods, new tires, new draglink, new shocks and this or balljoints is my next step although the balljoints appear to be good after checking but the truck does have 107K on the odo.

Any thoughts, advice or pics of Icon bars installed is appreciated.

Here is a few pics:

 

[05wh250]

Mine does the same in for info

 

[91turbogsx]

Mine also does the same. That joint is basically controlled by the ball joint moving. Does anyone make a press in solid joint for the ball joint side? Don't really see why they thought it needs a ball joint.

 

[bthomas]

Thanks guys, will have to give my balljoints a closer inspection.

If i could go back in time i would have gone with the PMF setup, replaces the axle side balljoint:
http://www.pmfsuspension.com/2005-12-Ford-F-250350-HD-Solid-Mount-Adjustable-Trackbar_p_64.html

 

[Sprman]

Hmm... i've been running mine for about 5 years and no issues. I need to look at mine and see if its set up this way or if i have the older style. Haven't looked at it in awhile.

 

[05wh250]

Thanks guys, will have to give my balljoints a closer inspection.

If i could go back in time i would have gone with the PMF setup, replaces the axle side balljoint:
http://www.pmfsuspension.com/2005-12-Ford-F-250350-HD-Solid-Mount-Adjustable-Trackbar_p_64.html

I would have to

 

[Aaron S]

The bar droops or pivots down because it has a bend to it. I have also found steering left to right can cause the bar to lift up or drop down. To prevent my Icon bar from rotating on the frame side end, I cut up two poly bushings so the inside diameter fits over the misalignment spacers and the outside diameter is a little larger than the outer case of the rod end. Now my bar cannot droop down much, if at all, without causing any kind of damage from binding.

I wouldnt recomend the pmf bar. It changes the location of the pivot down at the axle end. I dont have any experience with it, but all logic says changing the pivot location is going to cause bump steer. No different than installing a drop trac bar bracket without and equal drop pitman arm.

 

[NotStock]

We have 2 version of track bars. One is the direct replacement which mounts up to the stock ball joint and uses a 1" heim on the frame side. To my knowledge, no one else uses as large of a heim on the frame side.

We also offer an HD solid mount track bar. Which is the one you are referring to that replaces the lower ball joint. Given the design of the ball joint and the placement of the new joint, in a stock application it will move the mounting point down 1"~. I agree with you Aaron, that this may not be ideal for some applications. As far as bars on the market that replace that ball joint, ours is the closest to the OEM pivot point.

We have a few things in the works that will however blow everything out of the water and be adaptable to 95% of all aftermarket trackbars on the market.